Estimated 500,000 march in Washington last Sat
Abookamongstthemany
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There's a video at the top.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/013007A.shtml
Anti-War Marches Draw Hundreds of Thousands
By Aaron Glantz
Inter Press Service
Sunday 28 January 2007
Washington - Peace activists from across the United States gathered in Washington Saturday for what they said was the largest demonstration to date against the Iraq war.
"It's time for a new day," the Reverend Jesse Jackson told what organisers estimated as a crowd of 500,000 demonstrators gathered outside the halls of Congress on the National Mall.
"We do not need more troops in Iraq, we need more money at home," Jackson said. "We need a vision of hope over fear, of preparing smart children not smart bombs. A vision realising that right makes might; might does not make right."
The demonstration, which was pulled together by an umbrella group called United for Peace and Justice, also featured speeches by a half dozen antiwar Congresspeople.
Among them was a founder of Congress' "Out of Iraq Caucus," Maxine Waters, a California Democrat, who pledged not to vote "one dime for this war."
Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson also spoke, as did actors Jane Fonda and Sean Penn, members of the National Organisation for Women and other feminist groups, members of the United States military and veterans groups opposed to the war, and representatives of organised labour.
"The American people spoke loudly in the November election, removing from office many of those who shared President Bush's wrong-headed thinking," Fred Mason, head of the Maryland chapter of the AFL-CIO, a major umbrella trade union, told the crowd. "The new Congress has a responsibility to the American people to end military involvement in Iraq and bring our troops home now."
Like many speakers at the rally, Mason expressed disappointment that so far the Democratic Congress' opposition to George W. Bush's Iraq policy has shown itself mainly in the drafting of non-binding resolutions against his troop surge. For his part, Bush has rebuffed those efforts.
"I'm the decision maker," Bush said Friday. "I've picked the plan that I think is most likely to succeed ... I know there is scepticism and pessimism and that some are condemning a plan before it's even had a chance to work."
Like other speakers at Saturday's rally, trade unionist Fred Mason said Bush's intransigence means Congress should immediately cut funding for the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
"The American people don't want a surge in the violence and the deadly risk to their loved ones associated with this president's wrong-headed approach," he said. "Our democracy provides ourselves with the opportunity to express ourselves in these electoral processes. However, when there is reason to doubt whether the people we elected are heeding the people's will, we have a responsibility to speak with an even louder voice."
Still, the mood amongst demonstrators was optimistic.
"I really feel the American people are with us," said Al Johnson, a retired teacher from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
"It's such an important topic," he told IPS. "I haven't been to a demonstration in more than 30 years."
Saturday's demonstration in Washington was just one of more than 50 held around the country this weekend. In San Francisco, a protest against President Bush's plan to send 21,500 additional troops to Iraq turned out 5,000 demonstrators. In Los Angeles, thousands took to the streets, with many carrying signs that said "Impeach Bush."
In Seattle, more than 1,000 people turned out to protest. Among the speakers at that rally was first Lt. Ehren Watada, the first commissioned officer to face prosecution for refusing to serve in Iraq.
Long-time social activist Tom Hayden told IPS President Bush's ability to wage war is increasingly tenuous.
"Wars are based on pillars," Hayden said. "You need available soldiers, you need bipartisan support. You need recruitment of more soldiers, you need money, you need your moral reputation to be preserved and you need allies. By any of those measures the pillars are being undermined."
Hayden noted that more than 1,000 active duty U.S. soldiers have signed a petition calling for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Unhappiness with the war is also growing among veterans, with the group Iraq Veterans Against the War estimating their organisation has quadrupled in size over the last year.
"Supporting the troops that have signed these petitions and supporting efforts to stop military recruitment at our high schools and at community colleges are absolutely vital," Hayden added. "But people every day can do something. You want to convince your undecided neighbor to go against, you want to convince your kid not to go, you want to take a picket sign to the military recruiting office. You want to link up with the poor people's and labour organisations and say this war costs 287 million dollars an hour."
"If you put your energies toward a pillar they will eventually tip," he said, "and they cannot fight a war without these resources."
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/013007A.shtml
Anti-War Marches Draw Hundreds of Thousands
By Aaron Glantz
Inter Press Service
Sunday 28 January 2007
Washington - Peace activists from across the United States gathered in Washington Saturday for what they said was the largest demonstration to date against the Iraq war.
"It's time for a new day," the Reverend Jesse Jackson told what organisers estimated as a crowd of 500,000 demonstrators gathered outside the halls of Congress on the National Mall.
"We do not need more troops in Iraq, we need more money at home," Jackson said. "We need a vision of hope over fear, of preparing smart children not smart bombs. A vision realising that right makes might; might does not make right."
The demonstration, which was pulled together by an umbrella group called United for Peace and Justice, also featured speeches by a half dozen antiwar Congresspeople.
Among them was a founder of Congress' "Out of Iraq Caucus," Maxine Waters, a California Democrat, who pledged not to vote "one dime for this war."
Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson also spoke, as did actors Jane Fonda and Sean Penn, members of the National Organisation for Women and other feminist groups, members of the United States military and veterans groups opposed to the war, and representatives of organised labour.
"The American people spoke loudly in the November election, removing from office many of those who shared President Bush's wrong-headed thinking," Fred Mason, head of the Maryland chapter of the AFL-CIO, a major umbrella trade union, told the crowd. "The new Congress has a responsibility to the American people to end military involvement in Iraq and bring our troops home now."
Like many speakers at the rally, Mason expressed disappointment that so far the Democratic Congress' opposition to George W. Bush's Iraq policy has shown itself mainly in the drafting of non-binding resolutions against his troop surge. For his part, Bush has rebuffed those efforts.
"I'm the decision maker," Bush said Friday. "I've picked the plan that I think is most likely to succeed ... I know there is scepticism and pessimism and that some are condemning a plan before it's even had a chance to work."
Like other speakers at Saturday's rally, trade unionist Fred Mason said Bush's intransigence means Congress should immediately cut funding for the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
"The American people don't want a surge in the violence and the deadly risk to their loved ones associated with this president's wrong-headed approach," he said. "Our democracy provides ourselves with the opportunity to express ourselves in these electoral processes. However, when there is reason to doubt whether the people we elected are heeding the people's will, we have a responsibility to speak with an even louder voice."
Still, the mood amongst demonstrators was optimistic.
"I really feel the American people are with us," said Al Johnson, a retired teacher from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
"It's such an important topic," he told IPS. "I haven't been to a demonstration in more than 30 years."
Saturday's demonstration in Washington was just one of more than 50 held around the country this weekend. In San Francisco, a protest against President Bush's plan to send 21,500 additional troops to Iraq turned out 5,000 demonstrators. In Los Angeles, thousands took to the streets, with many carrying signs that said "Impeach Bush."
In Seattle, more than 1,000 people turned out to protest. Among the speakers at that rally was first Lt. Ehren Watada, the first commissioned officer to face prosecution for refusing to serve in Iraq.
Long-time social activist Tom Hayden told IPS President Bush's ability to wage war is increasingly tenuous.
"Wars are based on pillars," Hayden said. "You need available soldiers, you need bipartisan support. You need recruitment of more soldiers, you need money, you need your moral reputation to be preserved and you need allies. By any of those measures the pillars are being undermined."
Hayden noted that more than 1,000 active duty U.S. soldiers have signed a petition calling for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Unhappiness with the war is also growing among veterans, with the group Iraq Veterans Against the War estimating their organisation has quadrupled in size over the last year.
"Supporting the troops that have signed these petitions and supporting efforts to stop military recruitment at our high schools and at community colleges are absolutely vital," Hayden added. "But people every day can do something. You want to convince your undecided neighbor to go against, you want to convince your kid not to go, you want to take a picket sign to the military recruiting office. You want to link up with the poor people's and labour organisations and say this war costs 287 million dollars an hour."
"If you put your energies toward a pillar they will eventually tip," he said, "and they cannot fight a war without these resources."
If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
Post edited by Unknown User on
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http://www.pephost.org/images/content/pagebuilder/50361.jpg
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
awesome!!!!!!
from my window to yours
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=19957
And I also heard it was a lot less of a turnout than what you'd like to think.
"United for Peace and Justice, a coalition group sponsoring the protest, had hoped 100,000 would come. They claimed even more afterward, but police, who no longer give official estimates, said privately the crowd was smaller than 100,000."
With large groups there is always going to be isolated problems which is what seems to have happened.
The crowds looked pretty large to me. So all you got is what one group supposedly said privately? There's always going to be different sets of numbers and reports.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
I can be pretty good at reading people. To be perfectly honest, I really don't think he's that genuine. He's trying to channel a 60's radical through his speech and the way he's layered his torn up clothes. I smell a book deal.
You choose to see him that way because you're pro war. I give him the benefit of the doubt because I'm anti. Our perceptions aren't exactly cleared.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
To protest war....it's directed at the Dems and the Reps.
It's a good thing none of them care what you think they should do.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
Can't one do both?
I don't think any vet is "pro-war". I would like to avoid it at all costs whenever possible. We're in a bit of a pickle, as an Iraqi American and Veteran, I see the need to stay in Iraq until the host military is up to speed.
I hung out with the guy not you. I met tons of IVAW and VFP guys who I believe to be true humanitarians. This guy didn't sell me though.
You believe in war as an option and believed it necessary to invade Iraq in 03. Do you support bombing Iran?
What about him put you off in your meeting with him? You're still biased, I don't care if you guys had a sleepover.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
Some people don't seem to mind war so much. If you hadn't noticed we're in one.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
True, true but I think there is a lot of anger in the country right now and I think the protesting helps in that it is a constructive way to relieve that anger.
I already said I'm biased.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
What points are you refering to?
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
I don't have an opinion on Iran yet. As did a lot of people, yes, I believed going to war with Iraq in 03 was a wise decision.
Are you drunk? I didn't understand that incoherancy.
Little homophobic are we? That's not very nice. So your calling me gay, the other vet Garret gay, and are implying we slept together?
You got to love the South.
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
Sorry, I hit the o instead of the p in put.
And no, I was only using it as an example of a longer period of time.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
Where do you even get off saying something like that?
Not to mention it has been determined by the world as a whole as pretty much the fuck up of the New American Century.
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Or auditioning for something on sesame street.
There's got to be a letter in there somewhere.
all posts by ©gue_barium are protected under US copyright law and are not to be reproduced, exchanged or sold
except by express written permission of ©gue_barium, the author.
That's something I fail to understand. Everytime 2003 is mentionned people say that everybody believed the wmd threat, in the whole world. But that's just no true, I remember clearly a number of governments refusing to go to war because of the lack of proof of such a threat. Almost noone bought that crap.